The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-02-25
GurCnn,muu !sshooIA.

10 the Editor OF the GRAPHIC:
How often do we hear ii said "Thc
common school is the best safe guard of
American liberties" We scarcely take
up periodical, in which, we do not ind
some mention of this great levelcr.p
Even other nations are acknowledging
the force of our educational institutions
Japan has awakened from her thousand
years sleep: and has sent to New Eng
land for school teachers. French en-.
bassadors are enthusiastic over our ma
tional intellect builders. This being the
case, it is but natural for sober thinkers
TO enquire whether the teacher has much,
or little, to do with all this greatness.
Who and what are these common school
teachers? In answer we would point
yon TO the past history of our great men
and women. There is hardly poor boy
who has risen from the ranks to emf
nence, who has not made school teaching
q stepping stone TO greatness. That
these energetic, wide awake, go-ahead
Young men and women have left an i'm
press on the intelccts of those with
whom they have come in contact is not
to- be wondered at But how is it at the
present day? Is our common school sys-
TEN accomplishing as much as in the
past? Is not the teacher of the present
hampcrcd by many gricvious burdens?
If the teacher makes the school and the
school the nation, as 1t is claimed, should
he not have some rights, some powers
which can not be made sport OF by every
tow headed, empty patcd, numb skull i'll
a country DISTRICT Is there any law on
our statute books which says the teacher
can, even under the most aggrivatng
| circumstances, raise his hand 20 chastise
L.,
permits him to punish, only us parent
| would punish, and nothing is written on
the subject. Woe to the teacher who
leaves mark upon pupil A teacher
signs a contract to govern, and conduct,
a school; keep proper entries in register,
to prscrvc in good order the school house.
! grounds and other arpertunances belong
| ing to the district, for which he is to re
ceive a school order Gf he goes and gets
itl for S25 or $50 per month on bauk-
rupt town treasury. These orders may
bring their face. in from two TO ten
months or he can get Them discounted
at the banks, for from Is TO 20 per cent
! Off, which. as they draw interest at I per
cent, is allowing the banker about II per
cent. for two months. which is equal to
| 121 per cent year: OF if he waits 10
months he receives 81 per cent. year, a
direct tax on the teacher. So much for
our banking system. The teacher is re-
quired to fill out about three registers,
make monthly reports, take one day
every month TO attend township nsti-
tutes: there TO tell all he knows about
teaching school, n knowledge he NAV
have acquired by half a life time of cx-
! perience and hard study, or TO listen to a
long debate on the best method of teach
ing boy seven years old how to sub
tract 2 from g. and the like. He is re
quired to sweep the room, dust the
seats. be on hand at eight O clock, build
the fires, bring in the coal. chop the
wood. furnish the kindling (sometimesl
board himself, or else pay half his wages
for the privilege of eating unpalatable
food and sleeping with some infan,
hopeful Tor tcrrible), in some nook where
the fumes from the kitchen. or smoke
from some lea}ly pipe makes life intoier-
able. ooh teachers are, or ought to be,
angelsD And amidst all these harlships
they are expected to wear a smile.
Then every autumn about the middle of
harvest, which isn't play day in this
country, Gf the teacher is a farmer he
must leave his ripening grain, or his
plow, scrub his face. collect his few
loose pennies, and his scattered ideas
put on his best suit, (if he happens to
have any and tramp II or 20 miles to at
tend the county institute for a week, ol
loose his place in the ranks of those who
stand al the right hand of the superiu
tendent, and for all this trouble, 1ind
when examination day comes that some
little Miss who has had nothing TO dc
for the past three months but to consuli
the text books on doubtful points,
stands just . degrees ahead of him il
rank, Notwithstanding past experience
His bill Of expenses will read sonlcthin!
, like this;
, To c days lost @ 81 so 800
weeks board "a $3.50 s4.5
l certificate for 10 weeks 81 %
sundrics 3
Total expense $3.50
f Fellow teachers: are these facts
Should these things be so? Is there n
' balm. in Gilcad? We read of labor III
e ions a!l over the world. Shall VIC no
have Teachers Lnion. that we ma
right some Of these wrongsy Let som
/. one appoint meeting, in some ccntrs
: place andlsee if we can't have NOR
= WHOLESOME laws.
: Bert Parsons